Two-day Las Vegas trips

Q: Most Las Vegas packages are for a minimum three-day period. We would go more often if we could get a Friday night to Sunday afternoon trip. Any suggestions?

A:The Las Vegas service has benefited substantially with the Air Canada-Canadian Airlines merger. There are now nine flights weekly from Toronto with flights every morning, Monday through Sunday, and a second flight on Thursdays and Sundays. That means you can combine pretty well any days you want. The Thursday schedule features an overnight flight, and on Sunday, you can also depart and return in the afternoon. To make it easy, Air Canada Vacations has packaged air and accommodation from two to seven nights at such landmark hotels as Caesar's, Bellagio, Ballys, Flamingo Hilton and the MGM Grand.

Avoid middle seats when you fly

Q: What aircraft is best for avoiding a middle seat? We travel frequently to the west coast and this summer we're heading to Britain. Before we make our reservations, are there aircraft with a better seat configuration than others?

A:Your best bet to avoid a middle seat is the Boeing 767. The layout in economy class is seven across, configured with the aisles as 2-3-2, which puts only 15 per cent of passengers in middle seats. The next best is the Airbus 300, configured as 2-4-2. The L-1011 and MD-11 are not as good at 2-5-2. The aircraft with the most middle seats (around 38 per cent) is the Boeing 747, configured as 3-4-3. My best advice is to determine the aircraft layout and confirm where you want to sit when you book, and then again when your flight is ticketed. Reconfirm your seat on the day of departure, and don't be the last one at the airport to check in. Airlines reserve the right to re-position passengers if they arrive after regulation check-in time.

Alaska for all ages

Q: We are a family ranging in age from 23 to 64 years and would like to cruise the Inside Passage and tour Alaska. We've heard that Carnival Cruise Lines positions itself for all ages while on board, but what about its shore excursions?

A:If you choose Carnival's ship, The Jubilee, the shore excursions are divided into three categories – easy, moderate and considerable adventure. They help guests to determine which tours are most appropriate according to their personal physical condition. The Jubilee offers 80 land-based tours through Alaska, including kayaking, hiking, fly-fishing and, new this season, is a chance to take a helicopter flight over several glaciers before landing at a dog camp for a 'mushing' tour. The seven-day cruises depart weekly from Vancouver, May to September, calling in at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, with quiet days in the wilderness waterways of Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage. Schedules vary according to departure date.

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